1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power saving apparatus of an automatic vending machine and method thereof and more particularly to a power saving apparatus of an automatic vending machine and a method thereof for reducing an electric power consumed therein in case goods stored or provided at an inner part thereof is sold out or an error occurs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, automatic vending machines have been widely used, in various countries. The automatic vending machines, such as, coffee, cigarette, cake, and candy vending machines, have goods keeping chambers therein. In these automatic vending machines, when coins are inserted by the user into the automatic vending machine and a selecting button is pushed to a predetermined goods, goods is extracted from an extract part of the automatic vending machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, a goods selecting apparatus of a conventional automatic vending machines includes a coin sensing mechanism 1 for sensing a state of inserted coins and an amount of money to be inserted in the automatic vending machine, a goods selecting part 2 for selecting a predetermined article among goods stored or provided at the automatic vending machine, a control part 3 for displaying a selling possibility state according to a sensing signal corresponding to the inserted coins and the amount of the money input from the coin sensing mechanism 1 and for generating a control signal to extract goods selected from the goods selecting part 2, and a goods extracting part 5 for extracting the selected goods according to an extract control signal from the control part 3.
Now, goods selecting operation process of the conventional automatic vending machine will be explained hereinafter.
When coins are inserted through a coin inserting slot (not shown) of the automatic vending machine, condition of the coins or a bill and amount of money are sensed by a plurality of sensors (not shown) of the coin sensing mechanism 1 and a signal sensed therefrom is provided with the control part 3. The control part 3 generates a control signal for displaying a total inserted amount of money according to the sensing signal from the coin sensing mechanism 1 and also generates a control signal for displaying a state of goods selling possibility in case of the inserted money excessing the selling price of the goods.
After the state of the goods selling possibility shown in the display part 4 is confirmed a selecting button is pushed by a user to be selected goods. A button signal corresponding to the goods selected from goods selecting part 2 by the user is provided with the control part 3. At this time, a control signal for extracting the selected goods is generated from the control part 3.
Accordingly, the user can obtain at any time a predetermined article among goods stored in the automatic vending machine, thus controlling and adjusting the extracting control signal from the control part 3.
When the automatic vending machine is not operated due to a sold-out state of goods and/or no paper cups or no changes available, a predetermined display portion(not shown)of the automatic vending machine is displayed with a no-sale state by a display control signal output from the control part 3.
In the conventional automatic vending machine, a heater and a compressor mounted at an inner part of the automatic vending machine is continuously provided with an AC power even in case of displaying the no-sale state. That is, the power is unnecessarily consumed because the heater and the compressor are continuously provided with the power during the no-sales of the automatic vending machine.